[The fatty acid composition of the total lipids in Vibrio cholerae]

The fatty acid composition of total cell lipids of V. albensis typing strains, serovars 01-012, isolated from patients and environmental objects, as well as V. eltor and NAG vibrios, has been studied. Fatty acids contain 14-18 carbon atoms and are mainly represented by unsaturated monoacids. Palmitoleic and oleic acids constitute the greater part of unsaturated acids (their total content is 55.2-71.0%). The level of saturated fatty acids in considerably lower (27.0-43.1%), and these acids are mainly represented by palmitic acid, its maximum level being 28.4%. The similarity of the fatty acid profiles of the lipids common to the strains under study may indicate that these strains are phylogenetically related.